Coolidge, William David (1873–1975)

William Coolidge was a US physicist who developed (1908) a method for drawing tungsten into filaments for making light bulbs and radio tubes. In 1916 he patented
an X-ray tube (Coolidge tube) capable of producing accurate
amounts of radiation. Coolidge also devised portable X-ray units and worked
on construction techniques for industrial quality control. During World
War 2 he devised a submarine-detection system with Irving Langmuir.
Coolidge also worked on atom bomb research. See also electron
tube.